Lighting systems are formed typically by interconnecting many light fixtures by a communications system and providing for operator control from a central controller. Such lighting systems may contain multiparameter light fixtures, which illustratively are light fixtures having individually remotely adjustable parameters such as beam size, color, shape, angle, and other light characteristics. Multiparameter light fixtures are widely used in the lighting industry because they facilitate significant reductions in overall lighting system size and permit dynamic changes to the final lighting effect. Applications and events in which multiparameter light fixtures are used to great advantage include showrooms, television lighting, stage lighting, architectural lighting, live concerts, and theme parks. Illustrative multi-parameter light devices are disclosed in the product brochure entitled “The High End Systems Product Line 2001” and are available from High End Systems, Inc. of Austin, Tex.
To program the multiparameter lights, the operator inputs to a keyboard of the lighting central controller (or central controller) to send commands over the communications system to vary the parameters of the lights. When the operator of the lighting central controller has set the parameters of the multiparameter lights to produce the desired effect, the operator has produced a “scene.” Each scene with its corresponding parameter values is then stored in the memory of the central controller for later recall by the operator or as an automated recall. As many as one hundred or more scenes may be put together to make a “show”.
Prior to the advent of relatively small commercial digital controllers, remote control of light fixtures from a central controller was done with either a high voltage or low voltage current; see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,914, issued Dec. 19, 1972 to Van Buren, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,643, issued Aug. 5, 1975 to Ettlinger, both patents incorporated by reference herein. With the widespread use of digital computers, digital serial communications has been adopted as a way to achieve remote control; see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,139, issued Jun. 13, 1978 to Symonds et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,227, issued Sep. 29, 1987 to Callahan, both patents incorporated by reference herein.
A multiparameter light has several parameters that can be adjusted by remote control. A central controller is used in combination with a communications system to remotely control the multiparameter lights. Typically, the central controller is programmed in advance by an operator to control the lighting system. An example of a widely used central controller for multiparameter lights is the Whole Hog II, which is manufactured by Flying Pig Systems of 53 Northfield Road, London W13 9SY, and disclosed in a product brochure entitled “Whole Hog II, Lighting Control Workstation” available from Flying Pig Systems. Examples of some of the parameters that can be remotely controlled are position, color, pattern, iris, dimming, and shutter to name a few. Multiparameter lights can have over twelve parameters that are controlled by the central controller. Each multiparameter light can be set to respond to a specific address in the protocol used over the digital serial communication system. Typically the multiparameter light is first addressed by an operator of the central controller and next a parameter of the multiparameter light is adjusted from the central controller by the operator.
Prior art multiparameter lights typically have used metal or glass masks to act as a slide for the projection of an image. The metal or glass masks made for the lights are referred to in the industry as “gobos”. A type of advanced multiparameter light fixture which is referred to herein as an image projection lighting device (“IPLD”) uses a light valve to project images onto a stage or other projection surface. A light valve, which is also known as an image gate, is a device such as a digital micro-mirror (“DMD”) or a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) that forms the image that is projected. Other types of light valves are LCOS and MEMS. U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,958, issued May 2, 2000 to Hunt, incorporated by reference herein, discloses a pixel based gobo record control format for storing gobo images in the memory of a light fixture. The gobo images can be recalled and modified from commands sent by the control console. U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,868, issued Nov. 3, 1998 to Hutton and incorporated by reference herein, discloses storing video frames as cues locally in a lamp, and supplying them as directed to the image gate to produce animated and real-time imaging. A single frame can also be manipulated through processing to produce multiple variations. Alternatively, a video communications link can be employed to supply continuous video from a remote source.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,485, issued Oct. 27, 1998 to Hewlett and incorporated by reference herein, discloses the use of a camera with a DMD equipped lighting fixture for the purpose of following the shape of the performer and illuminating the performer using a shape that adaptively follows the performer's image. The camera acquiring the image preferably is located at the lamp illuminating the scene in order to avoid parallax. The image can be manually investigated at each lamp or downloaded to some central processor for this purpose. This results in a shadowless follow spot.
A multiprojector system in which an image is projected by plural projectors is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,817, incorporated by reference herein. The multiprojector system uses a number of “image-inputting” devices, one for each image that is to be projected by the projectors. The images to be projected are furnished to a multiple video processor, from which they are directed to the projectors. Where an image is to be enlarged and projected by two, four or more projectors, the image is enlarged in the multiple video processor before being supplied to the projectors. Disadvantageously, the use of multiple image-inputting devices and a multiple video processor is generally unfamiliar to many operators of lighting systems, and increases the setup complexity of the lighting system.
An additional description of how a plurality of IPLDs can be operated to form a collage can be found in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,812,653 and 6,812,653, incorporated by reference herein, each titled “Method and apparatus for controlling images with image projection lighting devices.”
One type of IPLD manufactured by High End Systems is referred to as the DL-2 (Digital Light 2). The DL-2 is able to store images in an on-board memory. The images stored in the memory of the DL-2 can be varied and projected by the DL-2 in response to DMX commands received over a communications system sent by a central controller. The term “image” is a general term that refers to a wide variety of content types, including continuous video images such as movies and animation, graphic effects, and news programs, and still images such as still clips, pictures, clip art, sketches, and so forth.
My U.S. Pat. No. 6,812,653, incorporated by reference herein, teaches showing a collage type on a display device of the central controller to an operator. U.S. Pat. No. 6,812,653 teaches that “The Collage Generator screen 1202 of FIG. 12 includes a collage output area 1285. The kind of collage desired by the operator preferably is selected from a list 1286 of various types, although it may be manually designated or selected from a collection of icons, or in any other desired manner.” Unfortunately the present art central controllers do not presently display on a display device a collage generator type in the form of displaying the tiles that compose a collage. The operator of the present art central controller could determine by alphanumeric a selection of what type of collage and what sectional image an IPLD may project but this is not as intuitive as visualizing a tiled graphic.